1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a water safety system for use by water-skiers. In particular, the invention relates to signaling means to be utilized by a water-skier who is down in the water. Specifically, the invention relates to a safety flag to be carried by a water-skier and displayed by the skier to alert oncoming boats and the like that the skier is down in the water.
2. Prior Art
Water-skiing becomes more popular every year. In the course of pursuing the sport, a power boat tows a skier across the water at such speeds as to permit the skis of the skier to skim over the surface of the water. A competent skier will frequently draw the attention of persons in the vicinity of the activity. A skier, skimming the water surface, is easily seen. However, should the skier lose hold of the tow rope or otherwise lose her balance, she will immediately sink into the water to be supported by her life jacket which maintains her head and possibly part of her shoulders above water.
While it is relatively easy to discern a skier skimming the water, it is another problem altogether to locate a skier down in the water. Safety rules require that the tow boat have an individual whose only task is to maintain sight of the skier. Thus, if the skier goes down into the water, that person may direct the boat back to the site at which the skier went into the water. There is no requirement that all other boats maintain lookout for skiers and their progress. Normal safety provisions must be complied with so as to avoid endangering a skier, however, a person piloting a boat in the vicinity is not held responsible for observing a water-skier as the skier slips down into the water. The person piloting the boat is expected to watch for obstacles in the water so as not to harm his own boat or to injure a swimmer. But, it is not unusual that a swimmer or skier down in the water shall be run over by a passing boat. It is readily understood that a swimmer is in danger of being knocked unconscious, drowned, or mangled by a boat's propeller should the path of a boat and a swimmer cross.
The danger was recognized as early as 1963 when U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,184 was issued to Shea who disclosed a water-ski safety cap, a head covering from which projected an upright shaft and a pennant shaped plate. A somewhat similar head covering was disclosed by Levy, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,823 issued in October of 1965. Levy made provision for the upright shaft to fold downward into a generally horizontal position with respect to the upright skier. His shaft was tapered and was also provided with a pennant shaped plate.
In 1988, Melendez, et al. were issued a U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,264 which disclosed a warning flag which was coupled to a skier's life jacket at the center rear thereof. A long flexible mast extended upward from the life jacket a substantial distance beyond the highest point of the skier's head and terminated in a flexible flag. When the skier went down into the water this flag was visible some distance above the skier's head.
All three of the inventions noted display a potentially dangerous characteristic. Each provides the skier with an extended shaft or mast which, in the case of a bad spill, could cause physical damage to the skier and, in the case of a collision between skiers, could conceivably puncture the body of the other skier causing severe injury or even death. The plate-like pennants of Levy and Shea could prove to be potential weapons of destruction as well.
It is the intention of the present invention to offer the water-skier a safety system for signaling the skier's position in the water which safety system may be carried by the skier in a small convenient package, with the signal flag undisplayed but readily available to the skier at any time and particularly when the skier has gone down into the water. The small package of the safety system provides no hindrance to the skier and offers no danger to the skier or others as might be derived from the extended shafts and pointed rigid pennants of the prior art.